Islamic State claims responsibility for Jordan shootings

Jordanian security forces guard an entrance, left, as boys walk past in the morning mist in front of Karak Castle in the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Amman, in Jordan Monday, Dec. 19, 2016.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting attacks in Jordan that killed nine Jordanians and a Canadian tourist.

The U.S.-based group SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant internet traffic, forwarded the Arabic-language claim to reporters on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. It wasn't immediately clear where IS released the claim.

Advertisement

IS claimed that “four soldiers of the Caliphate" armed with machine guns and hand grenades carried out the attacks.

The shootings on Sunday took place in central Jordan, in the town of Karak. Four gunman were shot and eventually killed by Jordanian security forces during a standoff at Karak Castle, a Crusader fortress and tourist destination.

IS setup a self-declared "caliphate" in parts of Syria and Iraq after seizing the territory in 2014, according to The Associated Press.